Birthday Surprise
by Chiyala
Summary: Sting surprises Rogue with a special birthday present.


Rogue couldn't really decide whether or not he liked his current situation, being blindfolded and carried by Frosch flying god-only-knew-where.

Sting had surprised him this morning with breakfast in bed. While he _had_ remembered that today was the day they had decided on being their joined birthday since both of them didn't know their real birthday, he hadn't expected Sting to actually do something special for him, seeing as they had a long time ago agreed on not buying each other presents or doing anything special on this day. Sure, it was their first birthday since they'd become a couple, but Rogue hadn't thought this would change their birthday habits. When Sting had come to clear his tray, shoving a blindfold at him with a bright blush on his face, he had expected them to use it in the bedroom. He actually liked the idea of being blindfolded while sex, completely at Sting's mercy. So when Sting had asked him if he trusted him blindly, he hadn't hesitated to confirm it, maybe a bit too enthusiastically. At first he'd been really disappointed to be led outside of their flat once Sting had put the blindfold on, securing it with a diligence Rogue thought was excessive.

Now he understood that it had been completely reasonable, seeing as the flight wind was really strong. He could always smell Sting's and Lector's scent, so Frosch was probably instructed to just follow Lector. Better that way, really. Rogue didn't want to get lost when he was blindfolded and wouldn't be able to find the way back himself, either. Nobody had spoken a word since they'd taken off, and if Rogue's sense of time wasn't completely off, then they'd been flying since about an hour already. Poor Frosch and Lector would be tired once they arrived. Then suddenly he heard an enthusiastic yell from before him, coming from Sting. Before he could even wonder about the meaning of this, he heard Fro's voice over the heavy sounds of wind.

"Please trust Fro! Fro has you and won't let anything happen to you!"

He opened his mouth to ask what the hell that was supposed to mean, but his words turned into a scream, his stomach doing funny flips, and he knew they were falling. Then his mind supplied him with the information that his back was turned downwards and they weren't falling any longer, but instead flying upside down. Then they were flying up again, and Rogue wondered if they just did a loop. Sting was happy and high on adrenaline, Rogue could tell from his scent wafting around him. Sting knew that Rogue liked fairground rides and the feeling of a free fall when he knew he was safe. Sting himself liked it just as much. Had he persuaded their Exceeds into playing an enhanced fairground ride? A smile broke out on his face when he heard Sting exclaim in joy, mentally preparing for his own fall.

Fifteen minutes and many mind-blowing stunts later, Rogue was a bit disappointed to feel solid ground under his feet again. His face hurt from smiling and screaming, but when he felt arms wrap around his torso and the familiar scent of his boyfriend so close to him, he couldn't help but smile even more. They were both a bit cold from the wind, but that didn't lessen the happiness the pair of cold lips pressed against his was causing. Sting pulled away too quickly for his liking, and when Rogue tried to pull him back in for another kiss, Sting laughed, gave him a quick peck on the lips, before stepping away and around him.

Undoing the blindfold took him a few minutes, seeing as he needed to remove all the hairpins that had tangled considerably with his hair due to the wind. Rogue didn't complain. Sting was really careful not to hurt him, plus the whole process rather felt like one of Sting's head massages he always enjoyed so very much.

When the hairpins were finally removed, Sting stepped closer to him, pressing his front against Rogue's back, and wrapped his arms around Rogue's abdomen.

"You may remove it now," he whispered directly into Rogue's ear, and then let his chin rest on Rogue's shoulder.

A shiver ran through Rogue's body. He didn't take the blindfold off immediately - he wanted to savor this moment, their closeness just a little while longer. So he folded his hands over Sting's, leaned back a little, and turned his head so that he was able to rub his cheek softly against Sting's.

Sting let out a small laugh, nudging Rogue's cheek with his nose. "Aren't you curious?"

Rogue sighed contentedly. "I am, but I'd rather not move just yet."

"Mmmh," was all he got as an answer before he felt his boyfriend pressing butterfly kisses first on his cheek, then down his jaw, and then on his sensitive neck.

Rogue was pretty sure they were somewhere in public, or at least outside where someone could possibly see them, seeing as a summer breeze was wafting around them. Usually, he was ashamed of being affectionate with his partner in public, but right now he didn't give a damn. All of his senses were focused only on Sting - his smell, his body heat, the softness of his skin, his proximity, his slightly elevated breathing and heartbeat, his warm hands folded between Rogue's belly and hands.

They stood there in silence for some minutes, exchanging little caresses and whispered words of affection. Eventually, Rogue let go of Sting's hands and undid the blindfold. The first thing he noticed was that they were standing on a grassy hill with nobody far and wide - except for their Exceeds, who were sitting on the grass next to them, Lector with a blush on his face. One of his paws covered Fro's eyes; the other one was over Fro's mouth to hush him. Rogue blushed when his eyes met Lector's. He'd never get used to showing his emotions in front of their Exceeds. But there was no helping it; if he was going to let himself be affectionate with Sting only when they were completely alone, he would eventually explode from all the pent up feelings.

Sting snapped him out of his reverie by gently turning his head a bit upwards. Rogue saw it then - Fiore Park wasn't far from their current position. His eyes lit up immediately, and the broad smile returned to his face.

"You - you're - wow - I mean... That's, uh, wow," he trailed off, blushed, then cleared his throat and tried again. "We're going to Fiore Park? For real?"

A kiss to his cheek. "Yes, darling, for real. Though it won't be able to top the ride with Lector and Fro."

Rogue had been gushing about Fiore Park ever since the first time they had gone with their whole guild after Jiemma had been gone. If he was to name the one thing he liked most that hadn't got anything to do with Sting or his friends, it would have been this: fairgrounds.

"Thank you. This is going to be the best birthday I've ever had. It already is." To prove his point, Rogue turned around in Sting's arms, his smile softening at the nervous look on Sting's face. He brought his free hand up to caress the soft cheek of his boyfriend. "Hey. Don't worry, I love it. I, uh," he shot a nervous glance over to Lector, whose blush had intensified. Rogue had never said it before their Exceeds, but he wanted to so badly right now. Lector rolled his eyes at him, and made a face that had 'oh come on, we already know that anyway, don't be so shy about it' written all over it. Rogue took a deep breath, then looked Sting in the eyes, and said, "I love you."

The concern in Sting's eyes was gone immediately, replaced by adoration and delight. He pulled Rogue into a tight embrace, and Rogue indulged in it with pleasure. However, there was one thing he wanted to settle, so he whispered as quietly into Sting's ear as he could, "What should I do with the blindfold now?"

Sting's body tensed tangibly, and Rogue would've laughed if the reaction hadn't simultaneously pushed the air out of his lungs.

"I... I thought we could... keep it? For... uh, _other_ activities?"

Rogue couldn't hold back a sound that sounded embarrassingly like a purr. He cleared his throat. "I'd like that very much. I can't wait."

Sting spoke up a bit, so that Lector would be able to hear him. "Maybe today's evening? If Lector and Frosch have some errands to run...?"

Of course, they hadn't. They never had. It was their (and by 'their' he meant Sting's) not-so-subtle way of telling their Exceeds that they wanted some time alone.

"I hope you notice that you've just volunteered to get us whatever and however much fish we want for _two weeks_ instead of just one, yeah?"

"Fro thinks so, too!"

Sting immediately let go of Rogue in favor of hugging both of their little friends at once until they were gasping for breath.

Rogue only shook his head affectionately, looking forward to their day at Fiore Park, and - naturally - to everything they would do after they came back home.


End file.
